Michael R. Wilcox, a 1975 University graduate, formed a student committee to determine student interest in a recreation center in September 1974.
Prior to the com
mittee formed by Wilcox, University President Hollis A. Moore appointed a group in May, 1973 to study campus recreation needs. The group recommended the construction of an indoor facility as a long range project due to limited funding.
In the fall of 1974, Wilcox, then student representative to the Board of Trustees formed a student committee, and the board members allocated money to fund trips to view other universities’ facilities.
In order to gauge the interest in a campus recreational facility, Wilcox sent out a survey to 2,000 University students. The survey revealed that most students were interested in a recreational facility and also willing to pay for it. Students were told that the initial cost would be a “substantial amount of money” and additional fees would be charged when the facility opened. To gain additional support, slide presentations of recreational centers at other universities and the current BGSU facilities were shown in the residence halls and at organizational meetings. In May 1975, a petition with 7,800 student signatures supporting the concept of a recreation center to be funded by student fees was submitted to the Board of Trustees. The board then made the decision to support the construction of a recreation center funded by student fees.
Although Wilcox graduated in 1975, he maintained contact with University officials about the progress of the recreation center.
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